El Desertor

The Turncoat (name in English) is war film based on the novel by German author Siegfried Lenz. This isn't typical representative of this genre. The story contains different elements especially about German history maybe more than warfare itself. Additionally relations between different people are important part of the film. I could almost say warfare hasn't the biggest role.

German soldier Walter Proska is in a small military unit on the eastern front in WW2. There is with him some German soldiers, their brutal Officer and many Polish partisans against them. Proska has doubts about rationality of war when German army and political system is losing the war. At the same time he falls in love with Polish partisan Wanda. Later phases of the war like being in the Red Army and as official in the East Germany zone bring him different problematic situations. Finally he must choose between eastern and western zone. Additionally Walter hasn't found Wanda who has lost during war. The end of the story is worth watching. I have seen some better films but this is better than average war films. 8/10

Do not be misled by the first episode, to think that this is the average war-time drama. This mini-series starts with the big conflict between nazi Germany and the world. Narrows down to the conflict between the Germans and the Russians in Eastern Germany, and then lets you realize that the conflict this movie (series) actually depicts is the conflicts in the head of a young German soldier. This is about friendship, about trust, and perhaps most of all about the forbidden, and totally impossible love between soul mates who meet against all odds.

All the acting, from all actors, are totally believable. This is one of the most beautiful, touching, and thought-provoking mini-series I have ever seen. Kudos to Jannis Niewöhner, Malgorzata Mikolajczak and Sebastian Urzendowsky. I have never seen them before, but they are incredible.

War films and series often go along with simple solutions and plots and most notably, they keep repeating same stories.

Some might say, that two episodes were too few for dealing the story and some things should have had more space. It is partly true, but it is also interesting to see something, where not everything is made finished for the viewer. Situations in real life aren't so why make it like that always in movies? Haven't read the book, but I would guess that the plot in series follows it well.

This is partially a story about the meaninglessness of war, and partially a story about star-crossed lovers, but the main theme recurring through both deals with the protagonist's inner conflicts as he winds up changing allegiances multiple times throughout, sometimes through choice, sometimes necessity.

Now, it really requires a lot of suspension of disbelief in the beginning of the story to buy that a German soldier and a woman in the resistance would be able to both sneak off from their duties and none of their fellow soldiers on either side noticing, but if you can look past this, this is a well-produced and well acted drama that manages well to depict the cruelty of war and tough choices without feeling gratuitous or cliched, though the ending is rather ambiguous and will leave you thinking.

I love movies set in WW2 but this was really incredibly bad. The main actor has the charisma of a potato bag, and he doesn't get across the difficult inner conflict and emotions of the situation at all. And the love story! God. Never have I seen a less believable love story in all my life. Though the female lead is still the only character with a bit of interest, all the others are flat and cartoonish. Not to be recommended unless you just want to spend a few hours in early 20st century Europe, cause the costumes and sets are nice to look at nonetheless.